


Scheherazade of Neverland

by PrincessYuna



Series: Tales from Neverland [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV), Peter Pan & Related Fandoms
Genre: F/M, Peter Pan is not Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold's Father
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-20
Updated: 2017-10-18
Packaged: 2018-11-16 17:18:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11257380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessYuna/pseuds/PrincessYuna
Summary: The sequel to 1001 Neverland Nights. After falling in love with the dark yet wonderful Peter Pan and discovering that she was the prophesied Grandest Imaginer with the potential to save Peter's life and the magic of Neverland, Wendy finds herself banished back to London. Despite the love she thought they shared, Peter has rejected her and sent her away from him. She will not give up though, she is determined to return to Neverland, show Peter her love, and unlock the part of his dark heart that is capable of loving her in return. In doing so she hopes she will be able to save Peter and the island from the mysterious dark disease that seems to be infecting them both.





	1. In the Eyes of Her King

**Author's Note:**

> It's here finally! The long-awaited first chapter of the sequel to 1001 Neverland Nights.I'm so proud of myself for finally writing this. I hope you enjoy. The first chapter ended up being way longer than I expected, but there's a lot to set up for this new saga in Wendy's story.

Wendy had only been back in her home for one night before the shadow arrived at her window again. She had left it open in the vain hope that Peter would change his mind and send for her. Her heart skipped a beat when she heard the tell-tale whoosh that announced the shadow’s arrival. Immediately she sat up in bed and saw it waiting patiently by the window, like a magic carpet sent to take her back to her palace.

She slowly got out of bed, careful not to wake her brothers, as they would try to stop her from going. Baelfire was especially certain that all magic was evil and should be avoided at all costs. She played along to please him, but she knew better. Magic could be dark and dangerous, that much was very true, but if it was necessary to meddle with it to save someone she loved, she would do it, no matter the cost. She looked again at her three brothers asleep soundly in their beds. She wasn’t naïve anymore, she knew how much she would miss them, especially John and little Michael, who she would never get to see grow up to be happy normal adults. None of that mattered now, she had to save Peter and that meant going back to Neverland. She would not let anyone stop her.

She approached the shadow cautiously, holding her breath though her heart was racing. She was so afraid that it would run away if she got too close, like the rabbit she had once spotted in Kensington Gardens. To her relief, it stayed put until she climbed onto the window seat to meet it. For a brief instant doubt flashed through her mind. Would it not be easier to stay here? Grow up and live a normal life, marry a boy her parents liked, and eventually remember Neverland and Peter as nothing but a silly dream she had when she was a girl? One look at the bottle of pixie dust around her neck reminded her why she couldn’t do that. She’d been through too much to give up on Peter now. Her hand shaking, she reached out to grab the Shadow’s wispy black limb. It recoiled from her touch, just as Peter had the day he had sent her home.

“I thought you were here to take me back” She whispered, her voice shaking.

The shadow silently shook its head and gestured towards her sleeping brothers with its smoky form.

He wanted a boy. Peter was still looking for the Truest Believer, his so-called salvation.

“Are you sure?” she whispered desperately. “Didn’t he want me?”

Again the Shadow shook its head and pointed to her brothers.

“Well you can’t have them!” She yelled far too loudly, tears filling her eyes. “Leave now, get out of here.”

She expected the Shadow to ignore her, to break in and take her brothers anyway, leaving her all alone while they went to Neverland. She knew it was powerful enough to fight her. She had experienced that herself when she tried to keep it from taking her home. Yet, it quickly flew away until it blended in with the midnight sky. If she hadn’t known any better she would have thought it had actually listened to her, but the Shadow’s only master was Pan.

“Wendy, what’s wrong?” a voice whispered from behind her.

She wiped her tears from her eyes before she turned around. Her brother’s didn’t need to know about any of this. She had woken up Baelfire, but John and Michael still slept soundly in their beds.

“The Shadow,” she whispered “It came back.”

Balefire quietly got out of bed to look out the window.

“It’s already gone” she whispered as he searched.

“Why did it come? I thought he, Pan, didn’t want you.”

She bit her lip, it hurt worse to hear Baelfire say it.

“No, he didn’t. He wanted a boy. He wanted my brothers.”

Balefire’s face turned red as she told him. She reached a reassuring hand to his wrist, in part because she was afraid he might jump out the window in his rage.

“I won’t let that happen.” He yelled. “He won’t break up your family.”

“Shhhh. You’ll wake up John and Michael. I don’t want to scare them more than we have to.

“You’re right,” he whispered again. “But we have to do something. We can’t just let him take them.”

“And we won’t. We’ll come up with a plan in the morning, but we’ll need our rest.”

“Fine. First thing in the morning.”

‘Of course. Now off to bed.”

She and Baelfire went off to their respective beds. She had no intention of falling asleep herself, but she wasn’t going to let Baelfire lose any rest over her troubles.

“Goodnight Balefire” She whispered to him.

“Goodnight Wendy” he whispered back.

She waited a few minutes until she heard the steady sound of Baelfire’s breathing harmonize with that of John and Michael. Then she quietly crept over to window seat and laid down to sleep. If anyone had asked, she would have told them she was guarding it in case the Shadow returned, but deep down she knew this was not entirely true. The stabbing pain of Peter’s rejection was back in full force. It had never really had time to go away, and now the Shadow’s rejection of her had opened the wound wider. She looked out at the second star to the right and wondered what Peter was doing at that very moment. By now years could have gone by in Neverland, he could already be dead. She banished the thought from her mind. If he was dead she would know, she would have felt it when it happened. She had to believe he was alive, there had to be time to save him still. She just had to figure out how to return to Neverland. While Baelfire formed a plan to protect her brothers, she would be figuring out how to get the Shadow to take her back.

The next day was filled with plotting and whispering between Wendy and her three brothers, but not the childish sort they used to do in the nursery, this was a more serious kind. They had to be sure that their parents did not become suspicious. There was no way they’d believe the children if they were told what was really going on. Their father was especially lacking in imagination and would surely dismiss it as nonsense that Wendy at the very least should have outgrown by now. By the time bedtime came around they had developed a plan, not a spectacular one, but what could one expect when trying to outsmart magic?

  
Wendy tried her best to look sleepy as her mother tucked her into bed that night. It was more difficult than usual, as her head was swimming. Of course she had fulfilled her promise to Baelfire and helped him plan how to keep the shadow away, but she had also developed a plan of her own. As soon as her brothers were safe she would order the shadow to take her back to Neverland, force it to if necessary. It had listened to her the night before, she hoped it would do so again. She had to admit it was a long shot, but it was the only way she could think of to get back to Neverland. Her mother kissed her forehead goodnight and Wendy felt a small tug at her heart as she remembered how much she had missed her during her previous stay in Neverland. She wanted to always remember how lovely her mother looked the last time she saw her, as she wished them all good night and turned out the lights, the smell of roses trailing after her as she left.

As soon as she was gone Baelfire kicked off the covers and leapt out of bed.

“We have work to do” he whispered.

Wendy, John and Michael quickly followed his lead. They grabbed the weapons they had stashed throughout the day. It was difficult to keep their thievery from their parents, but they had managed to collect a decent amount of useful objects. Croquet mallets, forks, umbrellas, and candlesticks were all seriously taken up by the children as if they were arming themselves with swords. Baelfire lit the oil lamp and tightly locked the window. Wendy knew how useless all of this would be in stopping the shadow, but they served her purpose, and she wanted her brothers to feel safe before she left them.

“Don’t worry,” Baelfire said when everything was set “The Shadow’s not taking anyone tonight.”

Wendy grabbed him and embraced him, doing everything she could to keep from crying.

“Thank you Bae.” She whispered.

What she was really saying was goodbye, to Bae, and to John and Michael as well.

“You can thank me in the morning” he said.

Of course she would not see him in the morning, but she was not about to let him know that.

“Okay,” he said as he let go of Wendy. “Everyone to their beds.”

The four of them quickly got back in bed, using the covers to hide their weapons. In dead silence they waited for the shadow to come back.

Suddenly, though the window was shut tight, a breeze entered the room and blew out all the flames one by one.

“Don’t be frightened: Bae said confidently.

The window began to shake as if it was caught in a storm, but there was not a cloud in the sky. Then there was the tell-tale whoosh as the window flew open and the shadow arrived.

“Everyone get in the crawl space! Now!” ordered Bae.

They all rushed to follow his orders, even Wendy. The sound of Nana’s barking rang in her ears as she ushered John into the crawl space to safety. She turned around to shush the dog, only to realize Michael was not with them. He was standing in the middle of the nursery, transfixed by the Shadow’s glowing eyes.

“Don’t do it! Don’t go with him!” she shouted.

Pan was not going to get her little brother, she would not have it. This was her only shot to get back to Neverland, and poor Michael would never survive with the lost boys, they’d rip him to shreds. She tried to run out and push Michael out if the way, but Baelfire held her back. Before she could stop him he was running out of the crawlspace to protect Michael, putting himself in imminent danger in the process.

“Michael, step back.” Baelfire whispered to the boy as he pushed his way in-between him and the shadow. “Take me instead!” he shouted.

This was exactly the opposite of everything Wendy had planned. She was the one who was supposed to be sacrificing herself to the shadow, so that her brothers could be left in peace. Instead two of them were in danger of being taken to that terrible land, sweet naïve Michael and poor brave Baelfire. Her heart felt like it was beating out of her chest and everything she had carefully planned had flown from her head. All she knew was that she had to do something to save them. She couldn’t let Baelfire sacrifice himself for her. He had been through so much already, and she was the one who belonged to Neverland, she was the one meant to save the place. She pushed John further into the safety of the crawl space and ran over to Baelfire’s side.

“Bae no!” She shouted, practically without thinking.

“But you have to promise never to bother this family again” Bae ordered, reaching the Shadow’s dark wisp of a hand.

Wendy quickly grabbed Baelfire’s outstretched hand with her own, forcing it away from the Shadow’s.

“No Bae, you can’t”, she pleaded as he tried to struggle out of her grasp.

“I won’t let magic destroy this family,” he told her as he forced his hand free, “This is the only way. You have to let me go.”

“No” she whispered as she shook her head in disbelief.

She couldn’t process what was happening. How could Baelfire sacrifice his own happiness, his own adult life, for the sake of her family? He had hardly even known them that long, and already he cared enough about them to give up everything. He couldn’t become a lost boy, he was too good to live under Peter’s command.

Wendy watched in shock as Baelfire grabbed onto the shadow’s inky black hand and began to lift off the ground. She grabbed onto his hand in a futile effort to change things, hoping that at the very least the shadow would take them both to Neverland. She began to panic as she found her feet still firmly planted on the ground, her arm being stretched painfully as Baelfire moved further and further away from her.

“Thank you Wendy,” he said bravely, “For making me part of your family”.

She tried to keep hold of his hand, but slowly his fingers slipped from her grasp until he let go completely. As soon as she was no longer preventing their movement, the shadow flew towards the window, dragging Baelfire along limply behind it.

“Bae!” she screamed as she followed them to the window.

There was nothing she could do, she had no magic here, no way to fly herself. She watched helplessly as the shadow carried Baelfire out the window and into the clear night sky.

“Bae!” she cried out helplessly one last time.

She looked on in agony as Baelfire tried struggle out of the shadow’s grasp, knowing from experience that his efforts were futile. She watched frozen on the window seat until she completely lost sight of him, wondering if she would ever manage to find a way to see him again, either in this world, or in Neverland.

“Wendy,” John said after a long time, as he and Michael came out from the safety of the crawlspace, “What are we going to do?”

“You two,” she looked at John and Michael sternly, “aren’t doing anything other than getting back into your beds. I’ll stay up and figure out a way to save Bae. This is all my fault and I’ve got to be the one to fix it.”

“No,” demanded John, “We’re going to help you.”

“Yeah,” said Michael, “Bae is our brother too.”

“No, you can’t.” Wendy ordered, “You don’t know what it’s like there, I do. Neverland will eat you two alive.”

“We’re stronger than you give us credit for.” said John.

“Please Wendy, let us help you.” begged Michael.

Wendy looked into the pleading eyes of her two younger brothers. There was no one in the world that she was more protective of than of John and Michael. She still remembered the days each of them came home from hospital. She remembered holding them as fragile babies in her arms and swearing to herself that she would never let anything harm either one of them. Yet, looking into their eyes she saw a determination there she had never seen before. It reminded her of the strength and world-worn wisdom she had seen in many of the lost boys. Despite all she had done to protect them, life had already started to toughen up their soft skin. Perhaps they were right, perhaps they could be of help to her in rescuing Baelfire. After all, she would have her hands full dealing with Peter, and she would need someone to help guide Bae back to London while she stayed behind in Neverland.

“Fine, you can help” she agreed. “But you have to listen to me and do exactly what I tell you to do no matter what. I don’t care how difficult it is, and trust me it will be difficult, you do what I ask you to.”

“Yes Wendy” the boys chimed.

“This isn’t going to be like one of those games we used to play in the nursery, this is dangerous. There are wildcats in Neverland that will eat you for lunch without a second thought. Not to mention Pan, who won’t take kindly to anyone trying to steal one of his boys from him and leave the island without his permission.”

“But how will we get to Neverland?” asked Michael

Wendy sighed, “I have an idea, but it’s a bit of a longshot.’

“What is it?” asked John.

“I have some power in Neverland, it’s complicated to explain why, but maybe, just maybe, I can get the shadow to do as I ask it to.”

“Well why didn’t you use that to save Bae in the first place!” accused John.

“I panicked.” Wendy defended. “ Everything was moving so fast and I just froze up. I know this all my fault, but I’m going to fix it. Besides, I’m still not even sure if it will listen to me, it’s just a hunch. Tomorrow night I’ll try to order the shadow back here and make it take us to Neverland.”

“And then what do we do?” squeaked out Michael.

“Let’s focus on one thing at a time,” replied Wendy, “once we get to Neverland, then we’ll figure out how to find Baelfire.”

Wendy tried to act confident, but she had no idea how they were going to rescue Baelfire. She had even less of an idea how she was going to save Peter from himself. She knew how quickly time moved in Neverland, for all she knew both of them could be dead already. She pushed the thought out of her mind, she had to remain strong for her brothers. Dawn would arrive soon and there was nothing they could do until the next night.  
“Alright you two, off to bed.” She pushed her brothers in the right direction. “Tomorrow we’ll gather supplies, and then when night comes we’ll go rescue Baelfire.”

John took Wendy’s little speech to heart and immediately hoped back under his comforter, but Michael was more hesitant. Suddenly he hugged his arms around her waist and looked up at her.

“Wendy I’m scared,” he whimpered, “I miss Baelfire.”

“I know dear,” she said, petting the top of his head. “Don’t worry, we’ll save him, I promise. Now go get some sleep.”

He let go of her waist and headed into bed, looking as young and innocent as any other 8 year old.

Wendy hated herself for getting him mixed up in her mess, for getting them all mixed up in this. Of course Neverland wasn’t exactly hell, she knew very well that the magic there could create beautiful things. The beauty had only been present when she and Peter had been on good terms, and now she would be returning as an outcast, Pan’s enemy even, while her brothers would be considered intruders. She had held on to hope that some small fragment of love left in Peter’s heart would keep her safe, but she couldn’t say the same for her brothers. She had to prepare them for the worst. John, Michael, and Baelfire would return to London unharmed if it was the last thing she did.

The next day was filled with more sneaking around to gather whatever supplies would be of use to them on their journey, without raising any suspicions. Of course her parents asked questions about where Baelfire was, but Wendy made up a lie about his going off to visit an old friend from his street urchin days, and that he wouldn’t be back until the next morning. They still seemed a bit concerned, but not enough to go searching for him just yet. Meanwhile, the children were busy sneaking away food from every meal and wrapping it in bundles that they hid in the crawlspace. Gauze bandages and medicine were grabbed from the cupboard and stashed away as well. While no one was looking Wendy secretly snuck down to the kitchen and stole a large sharp knife. Felix had once taught her how to use his dagger, and while she tried to avoid violence usually, Wendy was preparing to do whatever was necessary to protect her brothers and fulfil her mission. With all their preparations, bedtime soon came, and the Darling children were ready for their journey.

“Alright boys, are you ready to go save Bae?” Wendy whispered as soon as the nursery door was shut.

John leaped out of bed and nodded his head fiercely, Michael followed obediently, looking much less confident.

“We’re ready Wendy” whispered John.

“You two go gather the supplies form the crawlspace, I’ll go open the window.” She ordered.

Wendy headed over to the window and unlatched the heavy bar that kept it shut. She took a deep breath of cool night air as she swung the two panes open. She still wasn’t sure if their plan would work, the shadow had seemed to listen to her the other day, but that could have been wishful thinking on her part. After all, she had been kicked out of Neverland, Pan made it very clear that he did not want her there. What if the shadow only took her brothers and left her behind? She had to push those doubts away and believe in her powers. She was the prophesied Grandest Imaginer. She could do this, she could fix everything.

“Shadow!” she called out to the London skyline “I command you to come to me.”

She looked out the window anxiously and waited. The night sky was alarmingly clear. Not a cloud covered the nearly full moon and every star was like a tiny diamond. She could easily pick out the second star to the right, it shone the brightest of all against the deep blue velvet of the night sky. Just as she was about to try again she heard the now familiar magical whoosh that always heralded the Shadow’s arrival. In an instant its dark form appeared floating just outside the window.

John and Michael, their arms laden with bundles of supplies, came up behind Wendy. Although they tried very hard to hide it, she could feel their fear and hesitancy. To them this was the monster that had stolen away their brother, to her it was her ticket towards her destiny.

“Please, take us to Neverland” she said, looking into its glowing red eyes.

The shadow shook its head at her and gestured towards her brothers just as it had before. Like magic Wendy heard Peter’s voice echo in her head.

“I don’t want you here.” Those had been his last words to her.

Wendy blinked back tears, she would not let her brothers see her cry, not when they already so vulnerable. She gripped the bottle of pixie dust hanging from her neck and reminded herself that despite it all she was fated to save Peter.

“I don’t care what Pan said,” she demanded. “I am the Grandest Imaginer of the prophecy and you shall do as I say. You shall take us to Neverland, all three of us, and you will land us safely on its shores. And you will not inform Pan of our arrival. Do you understand?”

The shadow stared at her for a tense moment before reaching out its ephemeral hand to her.

“Are you boys ready?” she asked her brothers

“Yes, Wendy” they answered.

“Then hold on tight.”

The two boys linked together and held on to Wendy’s hand. Wendy grabbed the shadow’s hand and was immediately lifted off the ground just as she had been the first time she traveled to Neverland.  
Off they went over the many rooftops of London. Although it carried three of them, the shadow showed no signs of strain and flew just as swiftly as it had when it was just Wendy clinging to its hand. Soon they were passing by the glowing face of Big Ben’s clock, whose hands were just about to strike midnight. They flew higher and higher into the air until the children could make out no recognizable landmarks, only the twinkling of the bright stars and the pale rays of the moon. Eventually they reached the second star to the right, which had grown so close it could’ve easily been mistaken for the sun. Then, in a blink, night turned to day and Wendy began to spy the island of Neverland below them. The island itself had clearly changed while she was away. The island’s foliage, which had once been a bright emerald green, had darkened to an almost rotten colour and begun to overgrow the beaches and clearings. The many rainbows that had been scattered around the island had disappeared, and the many waterfalls and lagoons had turned dark and murky. Whatever dark disease was killing Peter was clearly affecting the island as well, and it was Wendy’s job to stop it.

The shadow flew them closer and closer to the island’s shore as the bright daylight gradually faded to dusk. After a while, the shadow gently deposited the children onto the soft sand of the beach. Wendy just managed to get out a thank you before the shadow flew out of sight, leaving behind a whoosh of magic as its only reply.

As soon as the shadow had disappeared Wendy leapt into action, not even giving her brothers time to take in their new surroundings.

“ Pan doesn’t know were on the island right now” she said, “but he can sense when something is amiss and it’s only a matter of time before he finds out. We’re going to split up to take advantage of the little time we have.”

The daylight was beginning to grow dim, so she took a candle and match out of one of the bundles they had packed. She lit the candle and began to draw a map in the sand with her finger.

“This is a map of Neverland” she gestured for them to get closer. “I need you two to memorize it. We are here on the shore, and I need you boys to get to here as fast as you can. The place is called Brave Cliff, it’s the one place on the island Pan can’t go. Follow the coast around and you should be there in an hour or two. I have a friend there who will help us, her name is Tiger Lilly. When you see her tell her that I have returned and that you are my brothers, she’ll protect you until we can find Bae.”

“What about you?” Michael asked.

“I’ll be there shortly. First I want to scope out the Lost Boy’s campsite before they know I’m here. We need to know if they have Baelfire with them or not. Now do you boys understand the plan?”

“Yes” replied John.

“Good.” Her voice softened. “Stay safe you two, and stay together. I promise I’ll see you both very soon. Good luck.”

She watched John and Michael head in the directions of Brave Cliff before quickly turning around and heading into the Neverland jungle. While the paths were now overgrowing with vines and ferns, and the trees blocked out nearly every ray of the dying sunlight, she still remembered the path to the Lost Boy’s camp well. She’d arrive long before her brothers got to the cliff. She hoped they would be safe. She had tried to warn them of all the dangers of Neverland before they landed, but the boys were naïve and could easily fall prey to mermaids or pirates. Once they reached Tiger Lily though, they’d be safe, provided she was still around. She wished she had a way to know how long it had been in Neverland time since she had left, and how long her friend had been waiting for her. Her only hint at the length was the many changes in the jungle, proof that had been quite a while.

As she got closer to the campsite she quieted her footsteps and hoped that Pan was still not aware of her presence on the island. Between Tiger Lily and the lost boys she had had plenty of lessons in stealth, and she had grown quite good at sneaking around. Finally, as she came to the edge of the clearing she climbed up into the branches of one of the many leafy trees so she could observe the boys unseen. Climbing in a nightdress had never been easy, but, again thanks to many lessons, she did so as gracefully as a panther. With little difficulty she settled into a perch to watch the boys between the foliage.

It was a strange sight she saw below her. It seemed to Wendy that she had only left Neverland just a few days before, and in many ways the campsite looked just as it had, but there were enough differences to make the once familiar place disconcerting. While the clearing had once been a beautiful green oasis in the depth of the Neverland jungle, vines and bushes and large exotic flowers were now encroaching on the territory. The grass no longer had the quality of a meadow, but was torn to muddy shreds while strange deep green weeds were beginning to take over. The boys that sat on the ever present circle of logs around the camp fire also looked different. There were less of them now, and those that were there looked haggard and thin, as if the food had become scarce since Wendy left. The subtle animalistic glint that had once lain hidden in each of their gazes now seemed intensely feral. As she looked at each dirty face individually she saw a few new ones, but more shockingly, realised several familiar faces were nowhere to be seen. Felix at least, was still present, seated in his place of honour and looking more stoic than she had ever seen him. Tootles and Slightly were also there, though the youthful innocence had left their faces. Rufio was gone, and only one of the twins was sitting by the fire in a daze. So many others were missing as well that Wendy had to gulp back fear and guilt as she wondered what had happened to her boys while she was away. Baelfire was also not among them.

As the sun gave up its last rays Pan arrived at the campsite and sat down at his log at the head of the circle. As always he sat as if it were a throne instead of a piece of knotted wood. With a brief nod he signalled to the boys that they could begin their meal, and the feeding frenzy began. It was just as Wendy had remembered it, the boys fighting over food as they messily piled their plates as high and full as they could. Wendy’s lessons in cooking had clearly been forgotten, as the food was sloop and the meat consisted of charred black chunks. As the boys started to devour their food, Pan began to speak to them as if he were a general and Wendy listened eagerly for any important information.

“I hope the campaigns went well today. Otherwise I’ll have to dole out more punishments, and we don’t want that now do we?”

The boys nodded silently.

“Felix,” Pan said stoically. “Any news yet of the boy?”

Wendy was sure that the boy Pan referred to had to be Baelfire. She crept forward a little on her branch to hear them better.

“”We haven’t found him yet.” Replied Felix, “But we have several ideas of where he might be hiding.”

“And where might that be?” asked Pan.

In her eagerness to hear more, Wendy found herself creeping even further forward on her branch. That was a huge mistake. Suddenly she heard a loud crack underneath her. She realised the branch she had chosen was dead wood, and it was struggling to hold her weight. Pan and the Lost Boys heard the wood cracking and began looking around for the source of the noise. Wendy tried to quickly shift to a less exposed position, but the sudden movement caused the branch to give way. All at once she was falling through the air and fear gripped her chest as she realised just how high up she had climbed. She was almost certain to break a bone. She hit the ground with a loud thud, landing on her hands and knees. Some luck, or dare she hope, magic, had prevented her from breaking anything, but she was sure to be covered in ugly purple bruises in the morning.

She looked up at Pan, who was now standing above her, and for the first time since she had met him she thought he looked genuinely shocked. Clearly he had not yet known she and her brothers were on the island. The surprise did not last long, and his expression quickly turned to one of anger. He had not forgotten their last encounter.

“How dare you come back here when I’ve banished you from the Island” he snarled.

“You took my brother Baelfire.” She snapped back as she struggled to stand up. She knew better than to say a word about trying to save his life.

Pam laughed maniacally at her. “And you thought you’d come charging in here like a hero and steal away what’s mine.”

“I won’t let you break up my family.”

“Well unfortunately for you your brother has an important part to play in my game, and I need to keep him here on this island for a long time. You on the other hand, are of no use to me.”

“What are you going to do to me? Send me away again? You won’t kill me. I know you won’t.”

He smiled at her and it was blood-curdling.

“No you’re right. I won’t kill you. We had a deal after all. You’ll have to stay here with me and the lost boys as our prisoner. And look, you’re here just in time for story time.”

Wendy screamed internally. She thought of all the times she had tried to escape this camp on her last visit, and now she had come back to where she had started, trapped by Pan once again. At least it gave her a chance to get close to Peter, and to find out more information about where Bae was.

“So what do you say?” Pan asked. “Shall we renew our deal.”

He stuck his hand out to her, like he was some gentleman making a business deal. Wendy knew it was more like making a deal with a devil. She wiped the dirt and blood from her hands onto her nightgown and grabbed his hand in her own. The second they touched it felt like a small electric shock went up Wendy’s arm and straight to her heart. She looked into his eyes, but if he felt it too he showed no sign of it. All she saw was a glint of menace.

“Well then,” he said as they shook hands. “Let’s get started shall we.”

He grabbed her wrist, his grip bone-crushingly strong, and dragged her over to his log. He threw her down on the seat and then sat down next to her. He looked at her intently.

“Well, where’s our story?” He said.

Wendy looked around at the dirty faces staring at her expectantly and took a deep breath. Telling stories had become second nature to her.

“Once upon a time there was an ancient city called Atlantis. Atlantis was a beautiful paradise filled with lush trees and exotic flowers. Every building was like a palace, and the streets were paved with marble. The city prospered because it was protected by a large blue crystal that floated above it like a second sun. For many generations the city flourished in trade and gained great knowledge. Their scholars created new technology for travelling, building structures, healing the sick, and so many other things. It seemed like anything at all was possible in the city of Atlantis. People came to live there from all over the world, knowing they would be safe and happy while they lived under the glowing blue crystal. Then one day, a greedy King took over the throne. In the eyes of the King the peaceful and prosperous city was not good enough, he wanted more. He ordered his scholars to use their skills to create powerful weapons, and he readied his ships, which had previously been used only for trading, for war. He began to take over the lands surrounding his city to gain more power. He slaughtered all of those who defied him and taxed his people mercilessly to feed his hunger for conquest. The only person who had any control over the King was his beloved Queen. She tried to stop his greed. She tried to warn him that the protective crystal wanted peace, and would be angry if its powers were being used for evil. The King did not listen, and in fact he did the opposite. He began to make a plan to harness the crystal itself as a weapon. This angered the crystal, and soon things began to go wrong in the city. Crops died mysteriously, buildings crumbled to the ground and, diseases spread throughout the people. Still the King would not control his greedy desires for more land, more money, and more power. The crystal had had enough and decided to punish the mortals once and for all for their foolish avarice. It sent earthquakes and fires to the city. It stole away the beloved Queen, trapping her inside of itself to fuel its power. It sent a great flash of light down to the palace, blinding the King for failing to see the beauty of the city for what it was. Finally, it created a giant wave that sent the one peaceful and safe city down to the depths of the ocean. And that is the story of how the once great city of Atlantis was lost, doomed to become a mass of crumbling ruins deep below the waves.”

Wendy looked around uncomfortably at the faces of the boys surrounding her, there was less peace there than when she used to tell her stories in the past. These boys had surely seen a lot since she was last on the island, and they seemed haunted by memories that a simple story could not reprieve. She hoped her story had brought them at least a little distraction, if not joy. She loved them, those young boys who used to call her mother. She was going to do whatever it took to save them and the island.

They all sat in silence for a while until Peter took out his pipes and began to play. Only then did the boys seem to relax and look drowsy.

“Time to go Wendy.” He said as he finished playing. He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her up from the log. His grip was firm, but not as violent as it had been before.

“Where are you taking me?” She asked, thinking of the long days she had spent locked in a cage when she first arrived in Neverland.

He said nothing and began to lead her into the thick jungle.

“I hope you realise how foolish your story was.” He said after a while.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

He stopped and stared her straight in the eye.

“Neverland doesn’t have a Queen.”  
While his voice was firm, Wendy looked deep into his eyes and she thought she saw doubt there. She felt the tiniest bit of hope flicker into her heart. Perhaps his love was still buried in there somewhere.

“But it does have a King.” she said.

“Neverland belongs to me. I would never let anyone challenge my power.”

He pulled on her hand and continued to lead her deep into the jungle. Wendy tried to hope for the best, but she feared so much. She was Pan’s prisoner again, and any control she had over her own life was lost. How was she going to make sure her brothers were safe? How was she going to find Baelfire? More pressingly, where was Pan taking her? Wendy knew deep in her soul that she could not survive life in a cage again; she had been through too much already.


	2. Past the Point of no Return

Peter silently led Wendy by the hand through the jungle while she tried to mentally prepare herself for life as a prisoner in a cage again. She didn’t think she could do it. There was nothing worse than being trapped with no room to move, having your meals served between bars, and having to ask permission from her guard to relive herself. Wendy may no longer be the refined lady she once was, but that was something she would never be comfortable with. It was torture in its purist form. She knew how much Pan hated to be questioned, but she had to believe it was possible for her to convince him not to do this to her.

“Peter please,” she begged, “Don’t put me in that cage again. I can’t… I can’t live like that. Not again. Please.”

Her voice shook, and she hated how vulnerable she sounded, but maybe that would make Pan take pity on her.

“I never had any intention of putting you in that cage.” He said, his voice now softened. 

“Thank you.”

“Don’t go thanking me for anything. You’re still my prisoner, just under a different kind of captivity. Can’t have you going off and trying to rescue Baelfire now can we?”

“So where is it that you're taking me then?”

“Here.”

He stopped and gestured to the small clearing they had just arrived at. The space was completely dominated by a large tree and its gnarled roots. Growing on the tree were various mosses and vines, turning the trunk an ugly mottled green and brown pattern. Scattered throughout the clearing were the same large, vibrantly coloured flowers that seemed to be overtaking the entire jungle. Wendy could see no cages or structures of any kind, just more of the over- growing jungle wildlife. 

“I don't understand,” She said “There's nothing here.”

“That's where you're wrong.” He pointed to the top of the tree. “Look up.”

Wendy couldn't quite believe what she saw. Nestled up in the branches of the giant tree was the cottage that Peter had made for her. It had fallen in disrepair over time, but it was all there. The white plaster walls were now completely overgrown with ivy, and many shingles had fallen off the roof. She couldn't tell for certain how long the house had been up in the tree, but it had been long enough that branches had begun to work their way into the open windows. Still, despite the obvious signs of neglect, Wendy couldn't have been happier to see the place. 

“Oh Peter you kept it here!” She exclaimed

“I figured it might be useful for storage.” He replied nonchalantly, “And it seemed a pity to destroy something I used so much magic to create.” 

“But why is it up in a tree now?”

“I wanted it out of my sight.”

“Oh, I see.”

“It's safer up there anyway, the jungle cats on the ground have gotten more and more vicious. I lost a couple of lost boys to them recently.”

Peter was never much of one to show emotion, but Wendy could sense a feeling of sadness and regret in him as he moved towards the tree and began to clear away brush and vines. 

“I'm very sorry to hear that.” 

Instead of responding, Peter pulled a ladder made of ropes and bits of drift wood out from the last cluster of vines.

“This is how you'll get up there.” He said. “You are to take your meals at the campsite with the Lost Boys. Either Felix or I will come to escort you there. Otherwise you do not set foot outside of this house. Understand?” 

Wendy nodded her head in acquiescence.

“If you step outside of this cottage, I will know and I will not hesitate to lock you in that cage.” He gestured the now cleared ladder. “Ladies first.” 

Wendy quickly moved to follow his orders and ascended the ladder until she came to a very small wooden porch that had been attached to the front of the cottage. She stood in front of the familiar wooden door, now covered in a dark green moss, and took a deep breath of anticipation. She pushed the door open hesitantly and the hinges complained loudly. She was clearly the first person to set foot in that doorway in years. Again she felt the disconcerting feeling of strangeness in that once very familiar space. A thick layer of dust lay over the wood floor and nearly every piece of furniture. Cobwebs gathered in the corners and browning dead leaves were scattered about here and there. Yet, these were not the most alarming changes to the house. Wendy had wondered upon entering if anyone had even set foot in the place since she had left it, and clearly someone had. Before Peter had sent her away she had left her books neatly arranged on the bookshelf. Now they were thrown about everywhere, some laying open with their pages bent, or even torn out altogether. Her blankets and sheets were thrown about in a jumbled mess, and one of her pillows was ripped in half, spilling out a mess of white feathers all over the bed. Most alarming was the mirror above her vanity, which had been violently shattered. Bits of mirrored glass lay all over the floor and Wendy had to be careful where she stepped in her thin bedroom slippers.  
“What happened to this place?” she gasped.  
Pan looked uncomfortable. “A wild animal must have gotten in. I’ll make sure to put a protection spell up to keep them out.”

“This is going to take ages to clean up.”

“Let me take care of it.”

He held up his hand and slowly the room began to set itself right. The dust and cobwebs disappeared and the leaves blew out the windows. The torn pages returned to the books which then floated themselves back up onto their shelves. The pillow became whole again, and the bed made itself up. Finally, the hundreds of bits of broken glass returned themselves back to their frame and fused together so that not a single crack was visible. In a few minutes the whole cottage looked as good as new.

“There’s still some magic left on this island.” Peter said when everything was repaired.

“That was wonderful. Thank you.” Wendy replied.

“I’ll leave you alone now.” Was Peter’s response. “Get some rest. Felix will fetch you for breakfast in the morning.”

“What about you? Will you be there.”

Peter turned around and walked out the door without an answer. Wendy was glad that he had still thought fondly enough of her to keep her cottage safe all those years, even if he was pushing her away at every turn. Yet, she didn’t buy his story about a wild animal attacking the cottage. The damage had seemed too deliberate to come from an animal. Why would an animal have torn up her bed, but left the upholstery on her armchair intact? She would have to try to get the real story out of Felix in the morning.

In the meantime, she had other concerns. She needed to find a way to contact Tiger Lilly and her brothers. She had to make sure that her brothers were safe, the fear that something horrible would happen to them had been eating away at her ever since she sent them on their way. She also wanted to assure them that, although she had been captured by Pan, she was unharmed otherwise. She was at a loss as to how she could achieve this though. If she left her treehouse without permission, Pan would know instantly and he’d put her in a cage again. She could try to play on the love of the Lost Boy’s to help her, but again she risked Pan finding out, and then there were the consequences of breaking the treaty between the tribe and the Lost Boys to worry about. Perhaps she could find a way to contact Tinkerbell and get her help?  
While she was contemplating this possibility, Wendy suddenly heard a rustling in the trees. She froze, recalling Pan’s words about the jungle cats having gotten more vicious since she was last on the island. But surely Peter had put a protection spell on the cottage like he said he would. Nothing could possibly get into the actual cottage. Slowly the rustling sound came closer and closer until she could hear the soft scratching of claws along with it. Wendy stood paralyzed with fear. She hoped that if she stayed still and quiet the animal would pass by without noticing her. The rustling and scratching was even closer now, just outside of the thin walls of the cottage. She held her breath and used every ounce of her energy to try to hold in her screams.  
Suddenly, a large grey and white wolf jumped through the open window and into the cottage. Upon seeing Wendy, it crouched down, ready to pounce and protect its turf. Its large razor-sharp teeth bared themselves into a snarl and it made a low growling sound. Wendy screamed as loud as she could. She hoped that Pan or one of the Lost Boys would hear her and come to slay the beast. She couldn’t just sit there and wait for a rescue though, she had to be able to defend herself as well. So she grabbed the kitchen knife she had tied to her leg for safe keeping and pointed it at the beast. She waited for wolf to pounce on her, but it didn’t. Instead, it began to curiously sniff the air. After a few sniffs it relaxed out of its lunge and put its menacing teeth away. Wendy paused as well. She looked into the wolf’s deep grey eyes and saw something oddly familiar there.

“Lily!” She exclaimed, gently putting the knife down on a table. “I can’t believe it’s you. You’ve grown so big.”

She ran towards her pet and began to stroke her soft grey fur. Lily responded by licking her master’s face. Even though she was now fully grown, Lily was still just Wendy’s pup on the inside.

“I’m so glad to see you girl. I thought for sure you would have forgotten me after all this time. I didn’t mean to leave you, it wasn’t my choice.”

Lily nuzzled her nose against Wendy’s hand understandingly.

“Since you’re here I have a favour to ask of you. You remember Tiger Lily, right?”

Lily stood at attention and nodded her head eagerly.

“I’m going to write out a note to her, and I want you to deliver it as quickly and secretly as you can. Okay?”

Lily shook her head in response once again.

Wendy went to a little writing desk in the corner of her cottage and sat down. Luckily, it was still fully stocked with paper, and the jars of ink were still tightly sealed, just as she had left them. She quickly jotted down a note.

Dear Tiger Lily,

I’m sorry you have gone so long without hearing from me, but Pan banished me from Neverland. I have returned to save my brother Baelfire. Hopefully by now my brothers, John and Michael, have arrived at your camp as I told them they should. Please let me know that they are safe and protect them for me. They are young and naïve and are very much at risk on a dangerous island like Neverland. Let them know that I love them and I am counting on them to be brave for both me and Bae. I have been captured by Pan and cannot meet them at your campsite like I originally planned. Be assured that I am unharmed, and will get to you as soon as I possibly can. In the meantime, please keep in touch and let me know if you hear anything about the whereabouts of Baelfire.   
Yours Truly,  
Wendy Darling

She blotted the paper and folded it up. She rummaged through her sewing basket and found an old scrap of ribbon which she strung the note on through a hole she cut with her scissors. Then she tied the ribbon and the note securely around Lily’s neck.

“There you go girl. Bring it to Tiger Lily please. Have a safe journey.”

She kissed the wolf on the nose before she leapt back through the window and ran off into the distance. 

With Lily gone, Wendy’s thoughts drifted back to Peter. She wondered how much he knew, and how much he was in control of. Surely if he knew about any of her brothers’ whereabouts he would’ve said something about it, perhaps even used it to taunt Wendy. But what about Lily? Did he know already that her pet wolf had found her? Did he send her to the treehouse? Was his real intention for Wendy to be eaten alive by her own pet? No, she knew Peter was not that heartless, no matter how much he tried to convince everyone else otherwise. Much about Peter Pan was still a mystery to Wendy, but there was one thing she did know. Somewhere deep down in his heart was a part of him that loved her, and would never ever harm her.   
Wendy knew better by now than to let herself stay up at night questioning Pan’s motives. Instead, she got herself ready for bed, finding comfort in the many familiar objects that had survived in the cottage without her. It had been a long day, and she fell into a deep sleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

She woke the next day to see early morning sunlight streaming through the leaves and into the open window. Up in her tree she could hear bird song closer than she ever had in her life. It was a much nicer sound than the rumbling of carriage wheels and neighing of horses that she had heard every morning in London. She quickly got out of bed and began her morning routine, knowing that Felix would arrive to escort her to breakfast any minute. Opening up the door of her old wardrobe, she discovered that all of the clothes Peter had given her were still there. She eagerly slipped out of her rather dirty nightgown. As expected there were large purple bruises on her knees from where she had landed on them the night before. She thought little of them. Bruises and Neverland had always seemed to go together. She selected a soft pink dress with white lace and ribbon trim. She hoped it might help soften Peter’s heart into loving her like he used to. But she would be no damsel, so she tucked her kitchen knife into a small pocket in her petticoats. She had hope that Peter would treat her kindly this time around, but one never could be sure with him, and she would not be caught unawares. Not that she was even sure he’d see her at all that day. She wouldn’t put it past him to try to avoid her completely for the time being. She brushed her golden locks up into a ponytail and tied them with a soft pink ribbon. As a finishing touch she pinched her cheeks to give them a little colour, just as her mother had taught her. If so called “feminine wiles” were what it took to get Peter to let her into his heart again, so be it. She would do what she must to save him and Neverland. 

Just as she was admiring her handiwork in the mirror of her vanity, Wendy heard a gentle knock on the door. She quickly opened it to see Felix standing at the entrance. While she briefly felt disappointment that Peter had not changed his mind, joy quickly rose within in her. She had been so relieved to see Felix the night before, to know her friend was still alright after all the time she had been gone. She had not had a single moment to talk to him until now, and she had a million questions. She only hoped that his loyalty to Pan wouldn’t prevent his answering her. 

“Felix I’ve missed you!” She cried, embracing the boy.

He responded stiffly, almost cringing away from her. Then after a moment, he relaxed, letting her hug him, but not returning the embrace. After a few moments she let go of him.

“I’m glad to see you as well.” He responded awkwardly. 

“I suppose you’re my prison guard for today then?”

“Something like that.”

“Well we should be off then.” She headed out the door. “Pan doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”

They went down the ladder to the jungle floor and Felix led her in the direction of the campsite.

“We won’t be seeing Pan this morning. He went off into the jungle at dawn.”

“He’s avoiding me isn’t he?”

“Most likely.”

“’What exactly happened to this place while I was gone.”

“A lot.”

“My cottage, how did it get up in that tree? And Pan said something about wild animals getting in and destroying the place.”

Felix sighed. “Pan did that, a day or two after he sent you away. We kept our distance, but we could hear his rage and the shattering glass from as far away as the campsite. After he was done he used his magic to create the tree and put the cottage up there. He didn’t want anything to remind him that you ever existed.”

“Then why didn’t he just destroy it?”

Felix shrugged. “He said it would be a waste of magic.”

Wendy let that sink in for a few minutes. Pure terror and dread gripped her heart as she came to another realisation. 

“What about Rufio, and the twins, and the other Lost Boys? Pan said the jungle cats got to them too.   
Felix stopped and looked down at the ground for a minute.

“The jungle cats are getting more and more vicious, and we lost several boys to their teeth and claws.” He replied. “But… that’s not what happened to Rufio.”

“What did happen to him?”

“He was…reckless. He cared far more about you than you probably ever realised.”

“What do I have to do with any of this?”

“After Pan sent you away, Rufio got angry, started saying that it wasn’t right for Pan to have sent away one of the family without consulting the boys. Pan has never liked having his decisions questioned; he saw Rufio’s comments as a threat to his leadership. So he challenged Rufio to a duel. It wasn’t the first time Rufio had overstepped his bounds, usually a harmless duel with Peter was enough to put him in his place, but this time it was different. This time, Pan was out for blood. Rufio was one of the fiercest warriors we had, but he was no match for Pan. Within minutes Rufio was dead. We all watched it happen. Pan said that he should be an example to us of why we shouldn’t question his leadership. Then he threw down his sword and disappeared into the jungle for a week.”

“That’s horrible.”

“And the twins, well… One of them made the mistake of saying that they missed you. It angered Pan, and he took him out into the jungle. Maybe he fed him to the cats, maybe he did the job himself, we don’t know. All we know is that we never saw him again. When he came back, Pan banned us all from even mentioning your name. The other twin was never the same after that.”

“Maybe we should call him something other than the twin.”

“I asked, he said he didn’t want to be called anything else.”

“I can’t believe Pan did all of that because of me.”

“In those moments something came over Peter I’ve never seen before. There was something in his eyes, he wasn’t himself. You know Peter cares more about us Lost Boys than anything else. He would’ve never hurt any of us, we’re his family. I don’t know exactly what’s going on, but you need to stop it Wendy. I’ve talked to Tink, she believes you can save Peter, and so do I.”

“I… I’ll do what I can.”

The two walked along in silence while Wendy tried to absorb all that Felix had told her. It was a lot to take in, but Wendy still had one last question to ask Felix.

“What does Pan want with Baelfire? He’s not going to hurt him is he?”

“I’m sorry Wendy, I’m under strict orders not to say a word to you about him.”

Wendy sighed. “Of course you are.”

They soon arrived at the campsite, and Wendy lost herself in thought as she collected her breakfast. The Lost Boys seemed happy to see her, but they were wary of talking to her. She couldn’t blame them after what she had been told.

Wendy knew she should be furious at Peter, that she should consider him a monster for all he had done, but somehow, this was not the case. The fact that Pan was a murderer wasn’t exactly news to her, she knew how many girls he had thrown to the mermaids before her arrival. Yet, Felix had also told her so many stories about Peter’s kindness and protectiveness before she had arrived in Neverland. Even the Pan she knew had always been fiercely protective of his Lost Boys, willing to murder anyone who threatened them. These incidents were such a shocking departure that she had to believe they were a product of whatever dark disease was eating away at his heart. It was now even more urgent that she stop it, not just for Peter’s life, but for the lives of his Lost Boys as well. 

Wendy finished her last few berries and looked around the campsite one last time. Peter never did show up to breakfast. He was avoiding her just as she suspected. Her heart sank in disappointment. It was funny, despite all the dark magic, murder, and danger, Wendy still felt a bit like a school girl with a crush. Of course, the light-hearted Wendy Darling who had once attended school in London would have never suspected she could fall in love with someone as twisted as Peter Pan. But she wasn’t that girl anymore, she was Wendy of Neverland now, and she had a sharp edge to her soul that she had never known existed. She had to wonder when it was she had reached the point of no return, when that sweet little London girl lost her heart to the demonic boy and let herself be transformed in the process. It had all been so gradual she couldn’t quite pin it down. She couldn’t say she regretted it though, horrible as he was, she loved Peter Pan with all her heart, because he allowed her to be the wild and passionate girl she truly was. 

After breakfast, Felix led Wendy back to her treehouse where she tried to busy herself with books and sewing and other tasks. She let herself hope that maybe Peter would come to visit her sometime during the day, but he never did. He was not at the campsite at lunchtime either. By the time dinner began to approach, Wendy had given up hope of seeing him at all that day.

Darkness was just falling over the jungle when Wendy heard a knock on the door. She was shocked to see not Felix, but Peter standing there waiting for her. Her heart fluttered a bit at the sight of him and she kicked herself internally for giving in to such silly feelings. She couldn’t lose herself to her emotions, she had to be careful, she was on a mission. 

“Hello Peter,” she said as she stepped out the door. “I didn’t think you’d be coming at all today.”

“Well I did.” He replied stoically. 

With that he turned around and headed down the ladder with the expectation that she would follow. Once they were on the grown he made no effort to neither take her hand nor make any other acknowledgment of her existence just a few paces behind him. They walked along in awkward silence for what seemed like ages, listening to nothing other than each other’s breathing as they trekked through overgrown jungle.

After a time, they reached the Lost Boy’s campsite. The fire was already lit and the lost boys were seated in their circle. Only two seats remained empty, Peter’s seat at the head, and Wendy’s on his left-hand side. Peter sat down imposingly on his throne-like log while Wendy delicately perched herself beside him, spreading her pink lacy skirts out like a cloud around her. Once they were all seated Pan gave a nod and the feast began. The usual scuffling and scarfing occurred among the boys while Wendy tried her best to politely choose what food looked edible. Pan did not bother with such manners, but parted the crowd instantly and grabbed what he wanted without anyone daring to give him even a look of envy. 

As Wendy and the boys began to eat, Pan commenced giving his commands.

“Nibs,” he demanded, “What is the report on the pirates”

“They’re still anchored in Cannonball Cove.” Replied Nibs. “There’s been no notable activity from them since we found them hiding the boy.”

So Hook must have had Bae on his ship at one point. She wished he had stayed there. He would have survived better with the pirates than on his own. 

“Very good.” Replied Pan. “Slightly, any news from Pixie Hollow?”

”The Fairy Queen has not budged on her decision,” Replied Slightly, more seriously than Wendy had ever heard him before.” But some independent fairies have now sworn their allegiance to you.”

“Very good,” replied Pan, “We’ll have to remind the Fairy Queen of her place.” 

Wendy had been listening to these reports intently, desperate for information on what had gone on in Neverland during her absence. Pan must have noticed her urgent attention, as he quickly decided to change the subject.

“I think that’s enough of that for now.” Pan, commanded. “You will finish giving your reports later, when we’re away from curious ears.”

Wendy blushed as she felt everyone’s eyes on her.

“I think it’s time for a story.” Peter demanded.

Wendy took a deep breath and began to tell her version of one of the darkest romance stories she had ever read. 

“Once upon a time, in the deep dark catacombs of the Paris Opera House, there lived a man that some would call a monster. His name was Erik, but he was better known as the Phantom of the Opera. His face was hideously deformed, so he hid it with a white plaster mask. His insides were almost as ugly as his outsides, as years of being tormented for his deformity had made him hateful and cruel. But he had one redeeming quality; he was a purely devoted lover of music. He would often sit in a box in one of the highest levels of the opera house and listen to the performances. Unfortunately, he had very high standards, and if he was not happy with what he heard, he would rise to the surface and pull cruel pranks on whoever he deemed to be at fault. One day, while he was wandering around the opera house in the shadows, he heard the most beautiful voice he’d ever heard. He searched for the source of the voice, and found it came from a chorus girl named Christine, who was practicing in the dressing room mirror. The mirror allowed him to observe her practicing undetected, and he stayed there watching, entranced by her beauty and talent. Soon he found himself returning to watch her more and more often. He fell in love with the girl and decided to take her on as his pupil. He began to talk to her from behind the mirror, to coach her singing and to complement her. She listened eagerly and slowly she too began to fall in love in with the mysterious voice which she called “the angel of music”. Erik began to become obsessed with Christine, he wanted her to become an opera star, and he would do anything to achieve that goal. He manipulated, tortured, and even murdered anyone at the opera house who tried to stop Christine from taking her rightful place as the opera’s leading soprano. Eventually, he achieved his goal and Christine became a smash success. She had hundreds of devoted fans who sent her roses and presents. She even received several love letters from a Viscount. Erik became jealous, he wanted Christine to be his, he wanted her to sing for him alone. So one night, he kidnapped the girl and took her down into his lair in the catacombs. He revealed to her that he was the “angel of music” and told her of all the foul crimes he committed to create her success. Finally, he took off his mask and revealed to her his hideous face. He proclaimed his love for her and his desire to have her be with him always. At first Christine was horrified, this man was a monster who had killed people. She refused to even speak to him and in return he refused to let her leave his dungeon. But over time, she began to realise that she still loved this angel, this monster, this man. She had long ago reached the point of no return where she would love him no matter what happened, or what he looked like. When she came to this epiphany, Christine went to Erik, took off his mask, and kissed him passionately. She told him she would love him and stay with him always. Her declaration of love softened the heart of the phantom, who had heard nothing but torment for his hideous face his entire life. They worked out an arrangement that made them both happier than they had ever been before. During the day she would return to the surface and sing her heart out to crowds of thousands. He would be there for every performance, sitting in the top balcony, listening to the woman he loved, and who loved him in return. During the night, she would return to the catacombs where she would stay in his arms, and even though they were in the darkness, their love burned brighter than any light.”

Wendy looked at Peter’s face as she finished telling her story. She worried he might be angry, that he might push her even farther away. Instead, he looked merely contemplative. He was an intelligent boy and she doubted she had missed the meaning behind her tale. His response to the story though was, as always, a mystery to Wendy. She glanced around at the Lost Boys, whose faces had all softened while listening to the melodic tones of her voice. The power her storytelling had over these boys had always amazed her. Perhaps that was one of the powers of the Grandest Imaginer. 

“Well Wendy,” Peter said as he stood up from his seat, “It’s time for you to be going back to your tree house. Us boys still have important business to attend to.”

Wendy waited for Peter to take her hand and help her up from her seat like he used to. When he didn’t, she got up with a sigh and brushed some dirt and bark off her dress. The walk back to her tree house was agonizingly silent. Pan looked just as dark and brooding as he had since she returned to the island. Wendy walked behind him dejectedly. She wished he would just open up to her even the slightest bit. If only he would let her in, she could find a way to help him. She knew that his feelings for her were strong. The kiss the pair had shared under the Pixie Dust trees was enough to prove that. It was those very feelings that repelled him from her. Love was not a feeling he allowed himself to have. She knew very well that he considered it weakness. And that is why he treated her as though the very act of meeting her eyes would make him burst into hellish flames. 

The pair arrived at the base of the treehouse and stood there awkwardly, avoiding each other’s gaze for what felt like ages. It was Wendy who finally broke the silence. 

“Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” He said as he turned away.

“Peter, wait.” 

She didn’t know what to say. She just wanted him to stay with her.

“I…I hope you enjoyed the story.”

He didn’t say a word. He just glanced back at her briefly and continued to walk away.  
“  
I’ll see you tomorrow then.” she said to his retreating form. 

She let out of a small scream of frustration as she climbed up the ladder.  
None of this day had gone at all how she planned. She was absolutely no closer to finding Bae or to saving Peter and the island. Time may work differently in Neverland, but she could sense by the state of the island that its clock was ticking away fast. Whatever darkness was affecting both it and Peter was not taking its time in destroying them. She was going to have to be clever. She was going to need a new plan, but that was something that she would work on in the morning.

She slipped out of her pink dress and into a clean white nightgown. She took out her hair ribbon and brushed out her golden waves with the hairbrush on her vanity. She needed to sleep. The stress was already getting to her and she was completely exhausted. It felt like the weight of the world was resting on her shoulders, and in a way, it really was.


End file.
